"Rafael Correa, Ecuador’s outspokenly anti-American president, has stoked fantasies like these, having welcomed Mr. Assange to the so-called “club of the persecuted.” In January, he welcomed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Quito. But he’s also certainly aware that the United States has neither charged the WikiLeaks founder with any crime nor demanded his extradition. Why then offer asylum?

Mr. Correa — who has cracked down on press freedoms in his own country — has begun to show signs of establishing the same sort of autocracy that Hugo Chavez has brought to Venezuela. He may imagine that protecting Mr. Assange will give a much-needed boost to his international reputation. But it also could have disastrous economic consequences for his country. As we’ve said before, the United States that Mr. Correa so despises allows Ecuador to export many goods duty-free, supports roughly 400,000 jobs in a country of 14 million people and accounts for one-third of Ecuador’s foreign sales. Congress could easily decide to diminish that privileged commercial access early next year.

Is Mr. Assange really worth the risk? "

Many years ago, I worked for the Washington Post. All I can say is, here we go again ...

´The Washington Post is a tool of the American government. Obama, Bush, JFK, Pol Pot, Hitler, Hoover, Lenin, Reagan, Elvis: it makes no difference who is in power, the Post does his bidding in exchange for…well, what, exactly? Money? Hot tips? Free Redskins tickets? Gotcha’ sex rumors and phony confidences? Dinner with 200 other attendees? A Rose Garden interview with softball questions? An invitation to the White House Christmas party?´ (Note: also see our post of February 12, 2012).

A month later, we got an answer: hot tips.

Post columnist David Ignatius wrote on March 16 that bin Laden wanted to kill Obama and General Petraeus:

´The scheme is described in one of the documents taken from bin Laden’s compound by U.S. forces on May 2, the night he was killed. I was given an exclusive look at some of these remarkable documents by a senior administration official.´

Exclusive look. Senior administration official: Boy, are we impressed! Let´s see now: U.S. forces break into bin Laden´s compound, kill him and take papers. Question: those papers are now in the hands of what government agency? If you have trouble with this one, ask the nearest seventh grader...

You doubt the Washington Post is a mouthpiece of the American government? A D.C.-style* Pravda re-boot? See our post of March 2, 2012 ("Alchemy of The Word"). It provides a spectacular case of subservience, surveillance and censorship which I personally witnessed while employed by the Post.

The Post threatens/questions Ecuador (hence implicitly all countries that do something the Washington establishment dislikes): "Is it worth the risk?" Intriguing word choice. As always, American newspapermen just can´t stop talking about themselves when they talk about others. Stoking fantasies; cracked down; autocracy; despises...To answer the real underlying question:

Oh mighty Washington Post editors and reporters -- you heroic, fire-breathing, give-me-liberty-or-give-me-death fighters for freedom, justice, truth, beauty: to be free of White House control definitely is worth the risk. Unfortunately, you never fail to miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. The reason: to be free of your C.I.A. minders would require you to be free of the oligarchy that owns you, which is impossible.

At bottom of it all, as the Ignatius case showed, gentlemen, you don´t know how to deal. In return for your scurrilous agit-prop, the C.I.A. et al leave you with what the bird left on the limb.

The term agit-prop is not used vicariously.

Two days after the Post`s editorial appeared, El Universo, Ecuadorian opposition newspaper, carried this front page headline: "Riesgo para la economía entra al debate por el asilo a Assange" ("Risk to the Ecuadorian economy enters the debate for asylum for Assange.") In case you think the journalists´ viewpoint is independent of that of American businesses, click here. Talk about an independent press, it is simply incredible how they all come to the same conclusion, even use the same words. (See our post of February 2, 2012 "One-Eyed Jacks Versus Rafael Correa") For insight into that amazing, paranormal phenomenon, see C.G. Jung on simultaneity.

O.K., Washington Post, it´s Reality Therapy Time: if you had anybody on your staff who knew something about Latin America you would know that in July, before Assange was granted asylum, Ecuador´s President Rafael Correa wrote off the tariff preferences his country is receiving from the U.S. under the Andian Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA). No stick, then; no carrot either; no nothing.

Disastrous economic consequences, indeed. A day late and millions of dollars short, the Washington Post`s threat/question/hint is, like the Post itself, left to dangle, twist in the wind.

Forever yesterday´s newspaper.

* * *

Say what you will, the C.I.A.´s strategy to get rid of President Correa is an astonishing exception to the rule in D.C: it is utterly transparent. The core consists of a phenomenon that is well known in political circles:

Friends Will Come And Go. Enemies Accumulate

(!) Threaten/question/hint an end/reduction of U.S. trade preferences for Ecuador in July 2013. (2) Ecuador subsidizes many goods and services such as gasoline, healthcare, scholarships and housing. With the ending of tariff preferences, Ecuador will not have enough money to continue subsidies at their present levels. Thus,(3) Ecuadorian voters suddenly find themselves face to face with the specter of paying more at the gas station, grocery store, health care providers. Our homes, families and jobs are in danger! Help! (Note: this part of the strategy has already begun. See the Washington Post editorial andUniverso headline above).(4) The voters start to have doubts about President Correa who runs for another term.(5) Correa sees his incredibly high popularity rating (see our post of Feburary 2, 2012) take a hit. He now has a momentum problem. (6) Correa receives less than 50% of the vote in the upcoming presidential election of February 17, 2013. He is forced into a April 7, 2013-runoff election with the United States-backed candidate, conservative banker Guillermo Lasso. Lasso has highly competent consultants; his campaign is being conducted extremely well (but not perfectly) given the context of Correa´s popularity. To wit:

Lasso`s media timing, style, and message closely resemble those of Jeff Bingaman`s senatorial campaign of 1982 in New Mexico. Bingaman did what everybody said was impossible: he defeated the internationally known and highly popular Harrison Jack Schmitt, incumbent senator and former astronaut. Diogenes in search of one good man is the powerful, unconscious archetype that Bingaman and Lasso activated. The ATPDEA tactic, incidentally, is fully in keeping with that archetype; Diogenes declared, "I have come to debase the coinage."

It will be interesting to see if Correa and his campaign team know how to counter the unconscious forces set in motion. (7) Finally, nonstop megabucks stop Correa in the Äpril Correa-Lasso election.

There is a fatal flaw in the Washington strategy. Do you see it? 2. Disorganization of The American States

"Britain Threatens to Invade The United States."

How´s that for a banner headline in newspapers across America? What is even more astounding: the headline would tell the truth.Four days after the Washington Post editorial appeared, the Organization of American states issued a resolution on the Julian Assange affair.

First, though, in my opinion, Assange´s Spanish lawyer, Baltasar Garzón, stepped on cultural toes in asserting that England had to grant safe passage to Assange out of England. While living in London in 1992, I watched Labor leader Neil Kinnock blow his lead over John Major at the infamous Sheffield Rally that anointed Kinnock as the "next Prime Minister," shouting 3 times, "We´re alright!" Others dispute the charge that overconfidence upended Kinnock. In either case, the fact remains that in politics the British are -- totally unlike Americans -- contrarians and don`t like being taken for granted or told what they can do.

I believe Britain responded to Baltazár´s assertion by threatening to invade the Ecuadorian Embassy and seize Assange. The British claimed the right to enter the embassy under a British law.

A few days later, however, Britain backtracked and said it never threatened to enter the embassy. If that is true, gentlemen, then why did you mention the British law? In truth, you were waiting to see if anybody was watching. They were, so you reacted with a Gilda Radner-style "Never mind."

Once upon a time, the British were wonderful story tellers. For books, see Alice in Wonderland and 1984. For movies, see any Ealing comedy starring Alec Guinness. My, how times have changed.

O.K., Britain, for your national law there exists a more-than-equal and opposite international charter:

Embassies are internationally recognized as part of the territory they represent. That´s right: if you walk into the Cuban Embassy in Mexico City, legally you are in Cuba. (While there, you might want to behave).

Every act of aggression by a State against the territorial integrity or the inviolability of the territory or against the sovereignty or political independence of an American State shall be considered an act of aggression against the other American States."

(Note: see also Article 3 (h): "An act of aggression against one American State is an act of aggression against all the other American States...")

If an armed invasion is not aggression, what is?

Either the OAS Charter (a) means something or (b) it does not.

Let´s find out.

If (a) it means something, in the event that Britain invades the Ecuadorian Embassy, the United States and Canada, too, are invaded. Would those two nations live up to their obligations imposed by the OAS Charter and repel -- if need be, declare war -- on Britain?

Perish the thought. For North America´s perfumed response to the tepid OAS resolution, click here.

The OAS had the opportunity to come down hard, with both feet, on a clear cut issue. As with the Washington Post, however, the OAS never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity; after all, both organizations are under the same management. ATPDEA, for your information, is a creature of the Bush Senior Administration; guess which socioeconomic group he belongs to. The OAS opted instead for a powder-puff call for Britain, Sweden and Ecuador to negotiate.Option (b) it is, then. The heart of the OAS, its mutual defense pledge, is deader than the Monroe Doctrine. China, among others, did not fail to notice.

Post Script. The United States continues to say it has not charged Assange with any crime, hence it has no intention to extradite him. Reader beware: the United States system is no longer a polity, the oligarchy/democracy hybrid created by the Founding Fathers. Today, that country has, as Thomas Jefferson predicted, "the despotism of an oligarchy" (see The Big Movida, chapter 1).

With that despotism as a background, let`s see if I got this right:

(1) Two men, e.g., Bradley Manning and Julian Assange, collaborate. (2) The U.S. government arrests one of them, charges him with numerous crimes (e.g., aiding the enemy, a capital offense), and holds him without trial under deplorable conditions.(3) The government claims it has no interest whatsoever in the other man.

Conclusion: as with the English, Americans no longer know how to tell a good story. You see it in their movies, their novels, their songs -- everywhere. Government and nongovernment agit prop included.

Montesquieu observed that in a despotism the "momentary will of the prince is law." (see our post of July 16, 2012) As President Obama´s angry decision to kill without due process the American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki showed, in the United States the prince´s momentary will also is top secret. Unconstitutional, too. _______________*We are not saying that the American Government dictates to the Washington Post every word, every day what it will publish. D.C.-style means that whenever the government wants a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed spokesman, the Post is it.

Policemen coming the other way noticed my friend`s erratic stop. Damn! I silently exclaimed in The Da Vinci Code italics expressing innermost, unvoiced thoughts. The cops made a U-turn, pulled up behind us.

"You want to have some fun?" my friend whispered.

"Do it! I love big surprises."

He rolled down the window. Before the cop could say a word, my friend blurted out: "Why should I lie, ossifer? I have nothing to hide."

Bingo -- instant trip downtown. They searched our car, interrogated us for two hours, tested us for alcohol and found...absolutely nothing. They took us to the front office, told us to sit.

We gazed in adolescent wonder at the brave new world afforded by the police station. While waiting for who-in-the-hell-knows-what, we started making jokes about faces on "The 10 Most Wanted" poster:#10. Neither of us knew exactly what a vestibule was. We did know, however, the fat lady looked exactly like one. #9. "That guy is a smiling pancake."

The cops overheard the observation, repeated it. The floodgates opened; a torrent of laughter flowed. The cops joined in. Like us, they were bored to death.

They quickly realized what the deal was. They let us go; no charges. We disappeared into the night.

I cannot explain why that incident from so far away -- a sort of dream within a dream -- came to mind decades later. Maybe it was the archi-sweet taste. Anyway, there I was, in Harrods Department Store in London eating marzipan candy shaped like fruit. I think the stuff is laced with heroine; nobody can eat just 50 of them. I also purchased a pair of black socks with "Harrods" emblazoned in white. No mistaking where they came from. Still got ´em.

I espied a group of 20-somethings on the other side of the food section checking me out. Their leader came over.

"Pardon me," he said, "but we couldn´t help notice you are eating so much candy. Won´t it spoil your lunch?"

"This is my lunch," I responded. "Apples, bananas, pears: as everybody knows, fruit is good for you. Moreover, what I happen to be eating is perfectly balanced; it has all the basic food groups: sugar, fat, salt, almond paste and artificial food coloring."

The leader went back to the group where a lively discussion ensued. I think they ran some sort of sociometric test on me and concluded I would be a fun person to get drunk with. The leader came back.

"Instead of feeding your face with sweets, why don´t you come with us to supper at the embassy? We guarantee it will be unforgettable. And, there will be a big surprise."

Big surprise...."An embassy? I have to change clothes."

"Please, whatever you do, don`t. It´s a come-as-you-are affair."

"I hope you are not confusing me with somebody else," I said, squeezing my black socks. "I´m a complete nobody, just a face in the crowd."

I checked my coin supply for the underground metro. The leader took note: "The embassy is in walking distance."

A last-second consideration was in order. Are they running a scam?Thieves? Murderers? The group appeared friendly. In fact, all of them had the squeaky clean smiles inundating the final pages of The Da Vinci Code.

I stuffed the coins and black socks in my coat pocket. Off we went.

The leader was right: the embassy was a block away. I watched a dozen caterer vans deliver huge boxes. This is going to be one hell of a party. I, too, smiled a Da Vinci smile.

The diplomatic staff was lined up at the door to greet the guests -- all six hundred of them. I later learned all their citizens living in London had been invited.

We were seated at long/longer/longest tables. Not an inch to spare. I have never seen so many place settings. I assiduously studied my wine glass, finding it fascinating, turning it around and around, hoping an unseen waiter would take the hint. 30 minutes passed. No waiter appeared so I directed my attention to the fancy silverware and beautiful plates with the Ecuadorian flag. Strange. No napkins.

Hours went by; we talked and talked. No food anywhere on the horizon, but nobody seemed to mind. After sundown, the leader walked to the podium, tested the microphone, pronounced the standard preliminaries, then looked at a door behind him.

"And now, we told you we had a big suprise. Here it is! Without further ado -- Julian Assange!"

At that instant all the lights went out. Damn! CIA plot? Scotland Yard shenanigans? Whatever it was, the guests were prepared; hundreds of pen lights, which ushers use in movie theaters, turned on.

I looked out the window. The blackout was confined to the embassy. Under the streetlights, Bobbies in their bumblebee-yellow jackets and Checker Cab-inspired hats were bobbying away.

Incredible. Not a single person complained about the outage or, for that matter, said a word. Amid the silence, I heard the opening of numerous boxes, the rustle of clothes.

I get it!They are going to serve the food, then set it alight. Flaming bananas and so forth. I sat back, waited.

Suddenly, all the lights turned on. What I saw was more astonishing than flaming bananas:

All the guests were now wearing anonymous hacker masks and overcoats. No mistaking where they came from. The leader grabbed the microphone:

"Ladies and gentlemen! Our moment has come! On your marks; get set ... GO!"

All six hundred masked hackers dashed out doors, climbed out windows, ran down streets in every direction. Many leaped into waiting cars, vans, buses.

The 50 bored-to-death Bobbies posted outside the embasssy quickly realized what the deal was. They had seen Julian Assange´s face countless times on wanted posters. A lot of good it did them now. For every anonymous hacker they grabbed and unmasked, 20 got away.

I noticed one hacker was strolling, not running. The Bobbies swarmed around him like flies on a gut truck. They ripped off his mask, tore off his overcoat, shouted with glee. The other Bobbies dropped everything, ran over.

My mouth dropped open.Oh my god! They caught him!

The cops punched him, beat him with night sticks, grabbed his gray hair, pushed and shoved him toward a police van. An older officer broke through the ranks, looked his captive in the eye.

"Sorry."

They let him go; no charges. No crime in resembling Julian Assange -- not yet, at any rate.

How many Julian Assange doubles were out there?The diversion had allowed hundreds of anonymous hackers to escape. The Bobbies madly blew whistles, swung nightsticks, grabbed megaphones and telephones. To no avail ...

As if on cue the floodgates opened. A torrent of anonymous hackers flowed out all buildings, poured into the streets. There were thousands of them everywhere, running, shouting. Pure chaos. And it had only just begun.

I went downtown to see what was happening. You could barely walk; Oxford Street was packed with anonymous hackers, so was Piccadilly Circus where they gathered around the Eros statue. On the metro to my apartment at Earls Court, I was surrounded by them. I overheard a snippet of conversation:

"They`re going to say we´re criminals. We helped him escape."

"Really? How can we commit a crime without knowing that a crime was committed? As far as any of us is concerned, Julian may still be in the embassy."

As I opened my front door, helicopters appeared. Police and army, private companies and organizations, TV and radio stations: you name it, it was up there. Was one of them carrying Julian Assange?

One thing was certain. He disappeared into the night.

One if by land, two if by sea. I later heard Julian hid in one of hundreds of boats docked up and down the English coast and the Thames River, motors running, packed with anonymous hackers. He was whisked away to a ship in international waters, then to Ecuador where he had been granted asylum. Others told me he slipped aboard one of dozens of cargo ships unloading apples, bananas and pears. A neighbor said a Radio France helicopter took him to a Chinese submarine.

Damn! I still don´t know how Julian Assange made it out of England because, just when that information was about to be supplied, I woke up. My black socks sure were warm.